Social Sciences

About This Division

The Division of Social Sciences at Maryville College includes the disciplines of Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Criminal Justice and Business. In addition, we offer interdisciplinary programs in the areas of Environmental Studies and International Studies.

Our primary goal is to provide students with the tools they will need to understand our changing social world and to find their place in that world. We provide students with opportunities to explore important questions related to contemporary political, environmental, economic, social and international issues. This involves interactive classroom instruction, class projects, service learning, internships, research and international study.

Social scientific inquiry raises a myriad of questions. Many of these have moral and ethical implications. Our faculty invite and expect students to grapple with complex subjects such as ethical business practices, environmental sustainability and economic justice. In doing so, we promote the College’s mission to serve the human community.

Recent Alumni Profile

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION:

I’m responsible for overseeing the month-end close process and subsequent preparation of financial statements and their review. I oversee the capital and operating budget processes. I sit on several teams and committees whose functions range from analyzing the hospital’s revenue streams to approving new equipment for use in the hospital, as well as big-picture initiatives like physician recruitment and long-term planning.

WHAT YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?

While sometimes people cringe when they think about finance, I love being able to communicate the financial side of healthcare to my coworkers on the clinical side, and vice versa. I really enjoying learning about the care they give patients and how they operate their departments, so it’s very enjoyable for me to be able to take care of and explain the finances while they focus on delivering excellent care.

BEST ADVICE FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS:

The best advice I ever got at MC was to take advantage of the opportunities that were presented to me. From studying abroad to internships, I think every bit of my experience helped prepare me for being a young professional in a business world that has been rocked in the past five years.

FAVORITE COURSE AT MC:

My favorite courses were Principles of Finance and the Economic History of the U.S. Principles was a class where it all came together for me and I started to realize that I might be comfortable having a future in finance. Economic History was a class that combined my sister’s major (History) and my major, so I found it incredibly interesting, and it was delivered in a very conducive, fun format.

PLANS FOR THE NEAR FUTURE:

In healthcare, the near future is so uncertain. Trying to stay on top of all the changes that the Healthcare Reform Act brings about will be key. And I’ll be starting my MBA in the spring.